One in five Canadians are living with mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression at any time.
This number has been steadily increasing in recent years, and while we have improved the way we talk about mental health, there remains a significant stigma. In fact, people are almost three times less likely to report mental illness rather than physical.
There are many effective mental health treatments available. However, accessing diagnosis and treatment can take years. Sometimes prescriptions used to treat mood disorders have side effects that can cause people to avoid or stop taking their medication. Traditional treatment can be expensive and not always covered by insurance or benefits.
Meanwhile, there is another tool – regularly prescribed for improvement heart health and metabolic health — which can be an incredibly useful addition to mental health care and management. What tool could possibly handle so many situations? Exercise!
Yes! Lifting weights lifts your mood
Many people have experienced the post-workout euphoria, but can the gym really help with depression and anxiety? Science says — absolutely!
Exercise has been shown to actually improve his symptoms anxiety and depression both short and long term. It can help regulate mood, and esp emotional resilience to acute stress. While reports of improved mood after a workout may seem subjective, the mental health benefits of exercise can actually be seen on a biochemical level.
You may have heard the term “runner’s high”, which comes from the feeling of bliss or euphoria that many people experience after exercise. This is largely caused by the increase in what we call endocannabinoids and endorphins — hormones and molecules that make you feel happy or satisfied.
“Good” and “bad” tryptophan metabolites
There may also be another important molecule to thank, however – tryptophan.
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that we absorb through our diet and plays many important roles in the human body. Tryptophan produces serotonin – it is often called the feel-good hormone — but it can also be broken down to produce molecules that have different effects on the brain and body.
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The main pathway responsible for the breakdown of tryptophan is called kynurenine pathway. Some of the products from this pathway, such as kynurenic acid, may be protective against inflammation and good for brain health. Others, such as quinolinic acid, may be associated with toxicity and inflammation.
In fact, many chronic conditions such as depression, Alzheimer’s disease and Cancer have been associated with increased levels of “bad” kynurenine metabolites.
Given tryptophan’s association with both mental health and neurodegenerative conditions, researchers have begun to investigate how we can create more of the good molecules and less of the bad. By influencing which path is taken in the kynurenine pathway, we may be able to shift toward a healthier, neuroprotective state.
The exercise appears to be a powerful regulator of this switch.
Immediate ROI
Studies have shown that exercise can cause immediate and immediate increases in brain protective molecules such as kynurenic acid, which have been measured within the blood and muscles after exercise. These beneficial changes have been found after endurance cycling, weight lifting and HIIT training.
Populations with additional metabolic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, have also seen beneficial changes in tryptophan metabolites after one exercise session.
Even better, these improvements have been reported across different age groups, suggesting benefits for both younger and older populations.
So far, laboratory studies have largely used traditional exercise protocols such as cycling and resistance training. However, being more physically active generally seems to improve the profile of these metabolites, meaning you don’t necessarily need to exercise in a lab to see improvements.
While exercise shows promise as a source of mood enhancement and brain protection, research in this area is still growing. More work is needed to understand the precise mechanisms at the molecular level that explain how and why exercise plays such an important role in regulating these metabolites.
Don’t sweat the small stuff. sweat!
Ultimately, exercise is a powerful tool to help improve mental health. There is strong evidence to support the use of exercise to manage stress and produce extra hormones and metabolites that can help manage mood disorders.
Exercise can also provide a significant change of scenery, a social outlet, or simply a special distraction for a short period of time. These factors can be important for mental health. Group activities, such as run clubs and pickleball leagues, could serve as multitasking mood boosters.
So while working out might be the last thing you want to do, especially in the middle of a Canadian winter, the benefits are totally worth the cold.
As with any health factor, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Exercise can be a powerful tool for the brain, but it may not be enough to manage complex mental health conditions. Treatment decisions should always be made in consultation with a primary care provider. If you or someone you know needs mental health help, see below resources.
